'Wire' creator David Simon speaks out on Baltimore policing

Former Baltimore Sun reporter speaks at UB event

Author David Simon put Baltimore in the national spotlight by creating shows like "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "The Wire." The former Baltimore Sun crime reporter returned to town Wednesday as a guest speaker at the University of Baltimore to discuss the current state of the city.

The former Baltimore Sun crime reporter returned to town Wednesday as a guest speaker at the University of Baltimore to discuss the current state of the city.

Simon, who has a unique perspective about crime and justice in Baltimore, didn't hold back his criticism of city police.

Simon said there's only one thing that works in crime fighting: locking up the right criminal.

"That's it, that's all police are good at, when they're good," Simon said. "When they're bad, they lock a lot of the wrong people up."

And Simon frowns at the idea of renewed calls for community policing and relationship building.

"I don't want any of that," Simon said. "There's a lot of call and a lot of need for social work in the communities of Baltimore. I'd rather hire a social worker. They're good at it. The best police I know are terrible at social work."

Yet at the same time, Simon called for an end to the war on drugs, which he said has resulted in big arrest numbers -- "the clearing of the corner" -- and the erosion of the community's relationship with officers.

"When that became the currency by which police officers got promoted, got paid, got their overtime, got their court pay, they stopped doing police work and they don't know how to do police work," Simon said. "It's been a 30-year stretch. They don't know how to do police work in Baltimore anymore."

Simon said that the most recent police commissioner who did a good job at reducing crime was Fred Bealefeld. Simon praised his focus on gun violence.